A selection of weekly articles by top Bahamian commentators.

March 2014

March 21, 2014

The depth of sexism and misogyny in the political party bearing the names progressive and liberal has reached another historic low point, perhaps a nadir, in the Progressive Liberal Party.

It follows in a succession of betrayals by the party which helped to usher in majority rule because of the votes of women, whom the PLP largely abandoned over ensuing decades. And still, under the Christie administration.

The unfolding chapter is the PLP’s cold silence in the face of Miller’s misogyny, mainly that of the prime minister but also the women of the PLP who seem cowered into silence by the men of the party, somewhat mirroring the frightened silence of some women following the infliction of physical and/or emotional violence.

Miller’s behaviour also mirrors a pattern typical of domestic violence as he arrogantly paraded around gloating about how much he loves and has done for Bahamian women, even though he was clueless as to the extent of domestic violence, clueless as to how his post-battering claims conduct typifies the cycle of domestic violence.

March 19, 2014

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Harrold Road dump exploded again last week, spewing billowing clouds of toxic fumes and black smoke into the clear skies over New Providence.

The government’s response was to send in the fire trucks and suggest that those affected by the pollution shut their windows and visit a clinic.

His job done, Environment Minister Ken Dorsett then jetted off to a regional conference at a Mexican resort.

Ironically, an official release on this meeting said it gave an opportunity to Ministers of Environment "to articulate to the world the need to embed the environment in all facets of sustainable development.”

Meanwhile, back in Nassau the dump continued to burn - not for the first time, and likely not for the last. In fact, the dump catches fire every other year in the dry season, releasing cancer-causing chemicals and particulate matter into the air. It has been doing this for decades.

In contrast to Pope Francis, Anglican Bishop Laish Boyd and other Christian leaders, Dr. Munroe appears uncharitable, not disposed to mercy, unwilling to support efforts to stem discrimination and violence against gays and lesbians.

While many church leaders do not support state-recognized same-sex marriages, they are challenging the dehumanization and demonization of gays and lesbians. Dr. Munroe’s remarks may give comfort to the demonizers.

For the sake of Christian love and charity Dr. Munroe must state whether he sides with those who would do violence towards his gay brothers and sisters in the name of God or whether he stands with the likes of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, US President Barack Obama, Pope Francis, Minister Mitchell and countless others who are seeking to confront violence against those of God’s children who happen to be gay.

In his various remarks, Dr. Munroe has also displayed a curious ignorance, in two senses: He seems uninformed of certain facts and information, and lacking in a basic understanding of whatever information he may have reviewed.

March 11, 2014

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” — W H Auden

When Dr Sylvia Earle began her career as a deep-diving scientist in 1953 no-one imagined that we could do anything to harm the ocean by what we put into it or took out of it. Back then, the ocean was as vast and as mysterious as outer space.

“But now we know that unless we take care of the ocean nothing else matters,” Earle told a capacity crowd at the Bahamas Natural History Conference here last week. “It is because the ocean is alive that we are alive. And we have no other option than to make peace with nature.”

The conference was organised by the Bahamas National Trust and the College of the Bahamas to spotlight the range of scientific research being conducted in the archipelago. Sixty six scientists presented their work over a three-day period at the COB library auditorium. And Sylvia Earle was one of the biggest celebrity speakers.

Raised on a small farm in New Jersey until she was 12, Earle's interest in the sea was kindled when her family moved to Clearwater Florida. "My back yard became the Gulf of Mexico,” she once said, "So instead of going out to climb trees and watch the squirrels, I had the pleasure of getting acquainted with salt marshes and sea grass beds."

At 78, she is now the world’s most celebrated oceanographer, having spent over 7,000 hours underwater during 100 scientific expeditions, including time in the Perry Hydrolab, an underwater habitat off Grand Bahama, in the early 1970s. She also famously discovered undersea dunes while diving in a research submersible off the Exumas in the 1980s.

Burt these days, Earle spends most of her time trekking around the world to high-profile meetings, desperately trying to put ocean conservation at the top of the global policy agenda.

March 10, 2014

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell recently delivered an address entitled “Saving Caricom” at the University of the West Indies Institute of International Relations Diplomatic Dialogue Series in Trinidad & Tobago.

Mitchell claimed that his political career was harmed by his support of LGBT rights. Many disagree with his contention. Still, Mitchell is right in his support of these rights and should be applauded for raising such issues.

Other politicians in the region including around the Commonwealth Caribbean who may have wished to argue on behalf of LGBT rights would likely never have advanced as far as Mitchell politically.

Mitchell has been elected to the House of Assembly in three successive general elections, is now serving a second term in the cabinet, and has enjoyed influence in the political arena for decades.

Indeed, The Bahamas, in contrast to most Caribbean states, enjoys greater tolerance for gays and lesbians and less discrimination, which is not to say that there is quite some distance to go in terms of attitudes and some laws.

March 05, 2014

"The secret of success is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake those, you've got it made." -- Groucho Marx

Outside of ZNS and other PLP circles, the outrage over tax dodging politicians and officials has been visceral as the government pursues a big increase in the average citizen's tax burden to reduce its fiscal deficit.

A few weeks ago it was revealed that Ishmael Lightbourne, the chief tax spokesman, had not paid property tax on his beachfront home out west or his commercial building in Palmdale for many years - up to two decades in fact. The bill amounts to well over $100,000 and cannot be attributed to recent hard times.

As the government’s chief VAT spokesman, Lightbourne has come in for some harsh criticism. Critics labelled his predicament as the grossest example of hypocrisy in recent times - although convicted Bishop Randy Fraser’s favours from his congregants ranks highest in my view.

And Prime Minister Perry Christie - the man who appointed Lightbourn - has simply avoided addressing the matter, no doubt hoping that the controversy will subside into irrelevance with the passage of time.